Mapping interaction between design and the Third Sector in Italy. Perspectives to promote social innovation

The current socio-economic complexity and the wide challenges that contemporary times present to design open up new opportunities for research in the field of design for social innovation. In a perspective in which the dimension of environmental and social sustainability of design now appears inescapable, and in a national panorama characterized by the recent affirmation of the Third Sector and the social enterprises, designers operate strategically within complex design networks, generating not only new social forms but also new organizational models. However, the different activities involved in the social economy seem to face some challenges in the development and scalability of their initiatives. This productive sector finds itself responding to a rapid digital transition and reviewing its offer concerning its services as well as their organizational models. Based on these premises, the design could play a strategic role in promoting a cultural and mindset change in the Third Sector, which would enable the development of services, strategies, tools, and organizational models capable of fostering innovation and providing sustainability in the medium to long term. The research, launched in October 2022 in the 38th cycle of the PhD in Design Sciences at the Iuav University of Venice, aims to investigate the relationship between design for social innovation and the Third Sector in Italy and, through the mapping of social impact enterprises and initiatives active on the territory, to identify the contribution and possibilities of design within these processes. In particular, from the analysis of the selected realities, it is proposed to investigate how and through which approaches methods, and tools designers operate in this field. The research methodology conducted an initial phase of defining the scope of intervention, analyzing and reviewing the reference scientific literature relating to the social dimension of the design discipline and the current socio-economic context. The investigation continued through the selection of significant case studies through the use of qualitative methods (Desk Research Analysis) aimed at providing an initial overview. This phase aims to obtain significant data regarding which areas of design are most involved by companies, how designers operate within teams, and how much design-driven innovation is internalized in entrepreneurial processes. Compared to the reference scientific literature, the research intends to offer an advancement in the knowledge of design methods in the field of design for social enterprises in Italy to describe their characteristics, approaches, and supporting tools. Therefore, to deepen how the design approach can be applied to the model of social enterprises, bridging the many organizational gaps and supporting their social mission. Therefore, the research aims to elaborate a multi-level mapping of the relationship between design for social innovation and the Third Sector in Italy, which can contribute to determining the relevance of the topic in the contemporary panorama, provide new research perspectives, and support the different actors involved in these processes.